Dakota pipeline is stretched 1,172 miles from North Dakota, going southeast to South Dakota, Iowa, and ended in Illinois. The pipeline is also projected to carry 470,000 barrels per day (maximum capacity is 570,000 barrels per day). The 30-inch diameter pipeline will distribute oil from the Bakken Formation that approximately has 7.4 billion barrels undiscovered oil – that is roughly 43 years’ oil reserve and two percent of total US oil consumption (The U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2015).

Would this be beneficial for the U.S.? Depends on who you ask.

There are pros and cons arguments regarding the development of Dakota Access Pipeline. Energy Transfer Partners, the company that generated the pipeline, argues that this USD 3.7 billion project will boost the economy by generating jobs and decrease U.S. reliance on foreign oil. On the other hand, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe claims that the development of Dakota Access Pipeline will destroy their burial sites, prayer sites, and culturally significant artifacts. The debate on energy security and cultural democracy is a long standing since years ago, and it always depends on who runs the country.

Until this moment, oil is still a major resource of energy in the world as well as in the United States. The U.S. imported 9.45 million barrels’ oil per day in 2015 (The U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2015) and with the development of the pipeline, this country can reduce up to five percent of oil imports per day. Although it does not sound significant, but a little amount of oil import reduction is important in the present day because the uncertainty of the countries where the U.S. imported the oil from, this includes: Canada, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Colombia.

Importing oil from other countries is always risky because we have no control over what is going to happen in those countries. One of the worst disputes the U.S. had encountered was in 1973 when the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries proclaimed an oil embargo in a response to U.S. involvement in the Yom Kippur War. The prices were significantly rising and caused an oil crisis for America. Therefore, any efforts to reduce oil import should be taken seriously by the government of the U.S. to prevent unpredictability in the future.

Moreover, the Dakota Access Pipeline project can generate 8,000 – 12,000 jobs for the next few years and can create an economic boon to the country (Holly Yan, CNN, 2016). According to the Energy Transfer Partners, the oil distribution through pipeline also can free up railways to transport crops and other commodities currently constrained by crude oil cargos. In terms of environmental aspect, the pipeline is safer and environmentally friendly. Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now, one of the supporting groups, stated that once the pipeline is completed, it will be among the safest, most technologically advanced pipelines in the world.

Stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

However, besides the destruction of indigenous sites, opponents of this project also argue that there is oil leaked potential, contamination due to breaches – which would go under the Missouri River – and eventual greenhouse gas emissions. The Sioux tribe allege that the developer of Dakota Access Pipeline was not consulted them regarding the development or permitting of the pipeline, in violation of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Based on the opinion of James Mayer, an NYU student, the opposition against Dakota Access is not just about environmental concerns, it is a struggle for cultural democracy: the idea that all communities should have a voice in the public cultural issues that concern the public, from how the people are educated to how the government treats the community’s concerns; how business concerns are weighed; how problems are identified and solved; who has a say in civic life; and, ultimately, how our political system operates. This case underlined the ignorance of government regarding cultural democracy that in this case, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe possessed.

In July 2016, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the project and granted final permits. This legalization gave the developer a big leap to continue the project even there are protests everywhere. But the Sioux tribe is not giving up, they filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington D.C. stated that the project violates the Clean Water Act and Rivers and Harbors Act because it crosses hundreds of federally regulated rivers, streams, and wetlands along its route. They argue under these statutes; the developer needs to have permits under the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

The tribes also requested a temporary restraining order of the construction. A decision, however, has made to deny the temporary restraining order but not long after that, the Obama administration announced that it was halting construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The battle will continue under the new federal government that will take the office in January next year. We cannot deny the fact that the President-elect is one of the investors of Energy Transfer Partners (Steven Mufson, Washington Post, 2016); we can project that this will be a difficult battle for the opposition of the Dakota Access Pipeline: The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and environmentalists who concern about the problem. Time will tell.

]]>https://rachmatfathoni.com/2014/01/03/2013-in-review/feed/0rachmatfathoniCatatan Awal Tahun.https://rachmatfathoni.com/2014/01/02/catatan-awal-tahun/
https://rachmatfathoni.com/2014/01/02/catatan-awal-tahun/#commentsThu, 02 Jan 2014 04:30:11 +0000http://rachmatfathoni.wordpress.com/?p=460More Catatan Awal Tahun.]]>At first I wanted to make a ‘Catatan Akhir Tahun’ post, but since the end of the year was a hectic one, I couldn’t make it. But maybe I can start this post by reminiscing the year of 2013.

Well, It’s not a great year I admit it, hahaha. More downs than its ups.

2013, changed me in lots of ways.

It’s so surprising someone that you care about for years, and now you just don’t. Your friends that you used to called your best, now they’re just your so so. Someone that really strange for you back then, now you call them your best pals.

I was graduated this year, and trust me, it’s not that special. It is after your graduation that matters the most. I realized that and I thought how wrong I am. I mean, I graduated and it’s not special, how come? Yes you entered a new kind of door that awaits you, but hey, sometimes when you open that door, it doesn’t satisfy you.

And I know life sucks. In a deep way. and it’s hard. And it’s not fair. If want you want it to be fair, you have to work your ass off. I realize also I can’t get whatever I want even though that I worked hard already. sometimes it just doesn’t work that way. I failed so many times, even I know the most successful people is the one who faced the greatest failure, still it hurts and shocking.

Sounds bitter my 2013 isn’t it? Well, it is not a good year I admit, but I see things differently now. And so I learned. A lot. from 2013. It makes me more mature, open-minded, realistic, not-too-much-thinker, more just-let-it-flow-and-enjoy-the-show person, more positive, more grateful and more Rachmat Fathoni (Hell I have no idea what more Rachmat Fathoni is, it just sounds cool for me, eh?)

From those lessons, I know what I want to do in 2014. I know it’s going to be one hell of a ride, so we’ll see. I hope everyone who read this also know how to face their 2014. I hope.

And It has happen to me also. Pada saat lulus semua orang nanya apa sih, pasti kerja apa, kerja dimana, gajinya berapa, kapan nikah, dan sebagainya. Jadi kita bersusah payah hidup untuk memuaskan apa yang orang lain inginkan terjadi sama kita. Waktu kemarin lulus, saya bilang saya mau jadi PNS, banyak yang bertanya-tanya dan terheran-heran. Kenapa mau jadi PNS, gaji kecil, or let say, cukup. Kerjaan ga jelas, pemerintah semrawut dan hal-hal macam itu. Well, I won’t defend that (haha), tapi intinya adalah I never realize such strong power that the society force you to become what they think of you. Huge power i can say. Because everywhere you go, they will ask you the same question over and over and over again. Makes u think that “Is that good for me? Am I doing something wrong? Should I do the thing that they told me to?”. I honestly never argue with my choice, I know it’s right for me, BUT sometimes, when you face something bad at the office, or in some points you felt that “Damn my choice”. And These whole statements from society hit you and makes you down a little bit.

“Mad, remember you live for yourself, not for the society want you to live.”

And matter of fact, It’s all about us.

Kalo kata JK Rowling “You have to believe in something, and you have to know what you’re good at.”

Kalo kata Jim Carrey “You have to visualize your belief and work hard to make it happen.”

Kalo kata Oprah “I don’t want to be with difficult people I want inspired people oozing with talent”

In the end, It would be great if you can show to the world what you’re good at and shut the society with your achievements. And it also important to always surrounded with the people who share same ideas, and same vision for you to have the power to stand even though the wind blown really really fast.

I really do hope I’m on my way. WE are on our way. Keep smile and have a good life

RF.

]]>https://rachmatfathoni.com/2013/10/11/ocehan-pagi/feed/11rachmatfathoniThe Greatest Threat to the Worldhttps://rachmatfathoni.com/2013/08/28/the-greatest-threat-to-the-world/
https://rachmatfathoni.com/2013/08/28/the-greatest-threat-to-the-world/#respondWed, 28 Aug 2013 10:41:18 +0000http://rachmatfathoni.wordpress.com/?p=395More The Greatest Threat to the World]]>What do you think if I ask you a question.

See the graphic which depicted the growth of human population exponentially? from the year 1000 to 2000, see the huge different? We have reached 1 billions of people in 1800. In only 200 years, It grows 7 times now. And we’ll reach the population of 8 billions people in 2023 (http://www.overpopulation.org) It’s a bit frightening.

Thus, it raises the other things: demand for clean water, Carbon dioxide concentration, global surface temperature, ozone depletion, oil consumption, consumption of ocean resources, deforestation, species extinction, motor vehicles, and so on. You can imagine when the more people suffer in hunger, the more people have no job, the more poverty, the world is heading to chaos. Two words: Serem Cuy!

When people are poor, and don’t have enough land to grow all their food, they have to spend all their money on food. They cannot afford to send their children to school, or to get medical care. Many people rely on the government to education them or provide medical care, but when the majority of the people in the country are poor, the tax base is too small to support programs for education, health care,
sanitation, and so on. Foreign aid may help, but foreign aid has never been enough to be a complete solution.

When children don’t get an education, especially girls, they tend to marry early (their families are glad to have one less mouth to feed), and have more children. Lack of health care also means more babies but high infant and maternal mortality rate. If mothers don’t get health care for prenatal, birth, or postnatal matters, then it is unlikely they will get the information about family planning and unlikely they
would get access to contraception. In addition, a high infant mortality rate leads a woman to believe that she needs to have more children as insurance. Also, lack of access to contraception means the
mother is more likely to die in childbirth. And when children are not spaced by at least two years, the health of the mother and the two babies also suffers.

Lack of food and health care also means the children are physically and mentally stunted, so they will be less productive, which is not conducive to a strong economy.

As for the positive side of overpopulation: if there is a large number of young people entering the labor market, this can boost the economy. But the jobs must be there for these young people, or there will be no benefits to have so many of them. And, if these young people are educated, the chances of boosting the economy are improved.

However, these benefits are only temporary. The benefits of a young, educated workforce will be greatly diminished when these young people reach retirement age: first they will have lived longer than they would have if they did not have a good job, thus adding to the population size and competing with younger generations for natural resources; second, while they live longer, they will require
considerably more medical care than people of a younger age, which will drag down the economy, and third, they are more likely to have fewer children, so that now there will be a senior boom instead of a
baby boom, and there will be more dependents than working age adults, which will also help bring down the economy.

WOA (World Population Awareness)

This happen because people are getting smarter, scientists found new medicines to heals more people. Technology helps human to expand their lives, and other things. Not to mention that this is not a good thing. Cuma mau ngasih tau aja, haha. There’s another fact, 1/3 of the population growth in the world is the result of incidental or unwanted pregnancies (Germany World Population Fund). Nah kalo gini gimana? Salah siapa? The unwanted pregnancies means they didn’t prepare to have babies, they didn’t think about their babies’ needs. Therefore it raises the things I have mentioned above.

I assume that WHO, CDC, and other organizations aware of this problem. But I assume also they don’t find yet the solution. And this is surely not an easy problem.

Emang sih kayaknya hal ini ga akan kita rasain di masa hidup orang-orang yang baca tulisan ini (maybe), but I’m not talking about us, I’m talking about the future of this world, I’m thinking about doomsday, Is it going to be ‘the’ way? Well this is just a random thought that came through my mind aja sih. Ga ada yang tau kedepannya akan seperti apa. Tapi kalau kita tahu apa masalahnya, we can find a way how to solve it.

I forgot being criticized. It’s been a while since someone gave me a feedback. I am not kind of person who hard to accept stricture of course, but this time it’s different. This criticism comes from someone that I really look up to, my idol, my mentor. So yea, at first, it is hard. But then i realize that she is right, I am making a mistake, huge mistake. I know that I’m not a perfect person, but sometimes, when you are being criticized, it still hurts. Especially in front of the one who you don’t wanna make a mistake to.

No. She doesn’t hate me. She’s just being nice. Having someone who gives you feedback means they care about you.

I promise i won’t ever do that mistake again.

“When people stops giving you feedback, that means people has given up on you. – Kak A”